


Scientific Observation

by VampirePaladin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon - Manga, Gen, Jossed, Research
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 15:59:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1393696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin





	Scientific Observation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cordialcount](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordialcount/gifts).



Officially, today was Hanji’s day off. That uniform that normally stuck to her in all the wrong places to be comfortable, the belt system that kept them alive, but also battered their bodies, and the leather coat that was too heavy to be comfortable on the ground but too light to keep warm in the air were gone. Her glasses were allowed to perch on her ears and nose like any normal pair of glasses would, instead of being strapped tightly around her head, getting stuck in her ponytailed hair. No one would think that the woman in a blue shirt, comfortable pants and soft shoes was a part of the military. Unless, of course, they happened to bump into her and feel the hard, tight muscles under the loose clothing.

She twisted and turned around men and women going about their daily business. There was an occasional greeting to familiar faces or an apology when the packed humans were just too close together to get through without bumping into someone else. At this time of day everyone was out and about except for students forced to sit inside and study while everyone bought and sold goods under the bright sky.

She followed the street to Paul’s, a restaurant popular for its cheap food. It also boasted to have the best soup available to all of humanity. Everyone laughed when they read the sign claiming that. Hanji let herself be carried in with the sweat drenched workers. Most of the tables were occupied. She parted from them only when she saw a familiar face sitting at a table. It wasn’t exactly a corner table, that was occupied by a very drunk group of poets, but it was about as close as you could be with the seating options so limited.

Hanji walked a winding path to the table. She squeezed in between tables and side stepped around chairs. When she arrived, she sat down without even asking the table’s occupant.

“I usually spend my days off with men about twenty meters taller than you,” Hanji said.

Erwin sat there with the same soldier’s posture that he always had. He was also dressed casually. He looked almost like a child being forced to wear uncomfortable festival clothing. Unlike Hanji, he still gave off a wary air. He was never really off duty. Even now, Hanji was sure that asking her to have lunch with him had some motivation behind it.

“I have a special job for you.”

“I knew it! Does it involve research? I have so many new experiments planned for Eren and I have been drafting more for other titans.”

“It does involve research and it does technically involve the titans.”

“Go on,” Hanji said. She wasn’t worried about their conversation being overheard. Everyone around them was loud and, more importantly, she trusted Erwin’s decision to meet here.

“I need you to figure out a way to destroy the crystal with minimal damage to the human inside.”

 

Hanji was whistling as she walked along the stone floor of the dungeon. She repositioned her table for the third time. She’d be able to get light from two wall sconces now, plus the light from the candelabra. That was about as good as she was going to get in a windowless dungeon, unless of course she had plans to suffocate herself, which she didn’t.

“So what do you think about this, Female Titan?” Hanji asked.

There was no reply. Of course there wasn’t. Annie was still doing her best impression of a bug trapped in amber.

“You don’t mind me taking your half of the room, do you? Of course you don’t. That is very considerate of you.”

Satisfied with the placement of the table, Hanji began unpacking wooden crate after wooden crate. They were filled with scientific tools. Beakers, spoons, magnifying glasses, blank paper, pencils, thick reference books and lots of extra candles came out of the crates. It was slow work unpacking everything, but there was no one to help. Erwin’s orders were very clear on that. She was to do this entirely in private and was not to tell the results to anyone but Erwin. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t the tiniest bit curious why he was having her do this and why it was so important to keep it secret, but in the end she trusted his orders and, more importantly, she trusted the man.

“At least I have you to keep me company.”

Hanji took a break after unpacking her third crate. She used an empty one as a chair as she stretched her arms out and over her head, feeling that delightful stretch of muscles. She looked around. Everything was arranged somewhat chaotically to the untrained eye, but it was perfect for Hanji. The art of science was closely guarded so she had been forced to improvise and learn on her own. 

“I guess it does make sense to try and get you out without killing you. There are all kinds of information you could give us and having a second titan shifter to perform tests on would be wonderful. I could have you perform some of the more dangerous tests that I’ve been holding back from Eren.”

Hanji looked at her silent companion. The light flickered just right. She must have been imagining things. That didn’t stop her from getting up off her wooden seat and walking to the table. She grabbed the candelabra and moved to the crystal. She held it up, high above her head, trying to mimic the lighting she had just seen. It took a few tries, but she finally got the height and the angle just right.

The resemblance was uncanny.

“Willing to sacrifice everyone and everything?” Hanji said with a smile. “You know, I think you are willing to sacrifice everything, but I think there is one thing you don’t want to sacrifice, commander.”

Hanji turned and walked to the door. It was late and she needed to get something to eat and maybe a few hours of rest. On the way she put out the lights until the candelabra was the only one left.

“Good night, Annie.”


End file.
